VOLUNTEER WITH US

Building One Community offers volunteers who care deeply about immigrants the opportunity to help them succeed in the community.

Much of B1C’s success is due to the commitment and compassion of our diverse group of volunteers. Your time, skills and talent make a real difference in people's lives. Through volunteering with us, you will learn about our local community, connect with other volunteers, and find a stronger sense of purpose.

HOW IT WORKS

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Schedule a tour if you'd like or receive our digital orientation manual.

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Log your Hours

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

There are many opportunities available for individuals as well as groups, families, faith and civic groups. We are always looking for tutors to help us teach English as a Second Language. Our adult students range from ages 18 to 80 and most come to Stamford with little to no English-speaking skills. We provide study materials necessary for you to use during the sessions and offer training if you need it. Please come in and tour our facility. We will match your interests and schedule with opportunities at the center.

Join us in providing these valuable services to our community. We offer volunteer opportunities in the following areas:

Teaching and tutoring English as a second language (ESL) classes

ESL assessor

Job skills training

Homework help

Personal support services

Administrative

Data entry

Mariana

The other day I was in the supermarket with my mom and this guy said: She's my teacher! That made me really happy.

Don

B1C is an incredible place for me - its clients teach me how to love unconditionally and how to live fearlessly.

Alex

I have grown and learned a lot about myself as well as the organization and the community it serves.

Jace

I like the atmosphere at B1C. I hope to help my students, in a small way, to have a better life.

The British Theatre Group

We loved raising funds for B1C through the Panto and see the client's faces when they attend the play. Immigrants helping immigrants!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can volunteer?

We have adults and high school volunteers. Anyone under 16 years old must have a parent or responsible adult present whenever volunteering.

Can I volunteer off-site?

It is B1C policy that volunteer tutoring and mentoring be conducted at our center on 75 Selleck Street. We will occasionally ask volunteers to assist at partner locations, including the Stamford Public Schools, or at an off-site fundraising venue.

Do I have to speak Spanish to volunteer?

Fluency in another language other than English is not required unless an opportunity specifically calls for it. We currently serve clients who originally come from 56 different countries so Spanish is not required.

Do I have to be a teacher to teach or tutor an ESL class?

Most of our volunteers come from varied backgrounds and having a teaching background is not required. What we do ask is that you speak clearly, loudly and slowly. We also ask that you follow our ESL class structure with the help of our ESL Teacher Guide.

I'm not sure if I could handle a whole ESL class by myself. Could I try it out first?

You can shadow or co-teach an ESL class to see if it's a good match for you. You can also try ESL tutoring a smaller group.

My student did not show up for my ESL tutoring block today. What should I do?

Sometimes our students may not make it to their already scheduled tutoring session. Even though we make every effort to coordinate between clients and volunteers these instances will happen. We ask that our volunteers remain flexible and open to performing other volunteer tasks.

Why do I have to log hours?

Keeping track of volunteer hours is crucial. We not only value your time and effort, but we also need a record of service hours so we can apply for grants that will help fund us.

Do I have to log time I need to prepare for class?

You bet you do! Any time you spend planning or organizing for your volunteer opportunity must be logged. This includes any time spent planning lessons, photocopying, etc.

How will I find out about new volunteer opportunities?

Once you register to volunteer you will receive a monthly newsletter containing information about current opportunities. Listings can also be found on the volunteer section of our website. Any time you see something that interests you please contact the Volunteer Manager for more information.

How do I change my availability on my volunteer registration form?

You can go to your Personal Volunteer Site by clicking on the Log Your Hours button a the top of this page.

YOUTH VOLUNTEERS

We have many youth volunteer opportunities available after school, on the weekend, during school breaks and summer months.

ESL VOLUNTEER:

Become a teacher, tutor or assessor for our Monday and Wednesday night classes.

YOUTH GROUP:

Join our youth-led volunteer group on Saturdays from 11-12:30 pm. Sign up only for the Saturdays you are available.

YOUTH AMBASSADOR:

Represent B1C and our mission at your school, church, social club or sports team. Run a fundraiser to sponsor a movie night, help promote an event through social media or collaborate with B1C to create your own volunteer project.

HOMEWORK CLUB:

Help with Homework on Tuesdays and Thursdays form 4-5 pm.

SUMMER PROGRAMS AND INTERNSHIPS:

Join our summer reading program, intern in an area of interest, develop a special program. Internships are available in the summer and during the school year.

ESL Library

Welcome to the ESL Library!

The ESL Library is a curriculum tool created to better support teachers at Building One Community. It contains Curriculum Guides for each level of ESL at Building One Community with lesson goals, grammar, vocabulary, and materials for every day of the week.

Below you can find direct links to the ESL Library Weekly Themes where you will see the week's topic in a calendar, the Curriculum Guides folder to see what you will be teaching, and the Materials & Resources folder for worksheets and activities.